Doha: The Qatar Football Association, in cooperation with Qatar Shell, is organising various events for Afghan refugees as part of the Koora Time initiative, which works to create an environment that encourages football participation, with a tangible psychological impact on the participants and their families. Koora Time aims to improve the health and safety of young people and children in Qatar through football, and to support the pillar of social development in Qatar National Vision 2030, which is in line with the initiative’s ultimate goal.

H.E. Lolwah Al Khater, Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited the venue of the Koora Time activities for the Afghan refugee children, which included various sports and educational events, and listened to a detailed explanation of the initiative’s objectives and the great role it has played since its launch.

Khalid Mubarak Al-Kuwari, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Qatar Football Association, said: “The participation of the QFA and Qatar Shell – the leading sponsor of the QFA – in organising events for Afghan refugees through the Koora Time initiative is a positive thing and we are working to extend the scope of the program to include facilities and housing compound, in which the Afghan refugees, the guests of Qatar, are staying. The program is scheduled to last for 6 weeks, with an intensive and targeted methodology by focusing on modules that will help to leave a tangible multifaceted impact, both physical or psychological. There will be two sessions per week and each session will last for an hour and a half.”

Al-Kuwari added: “The Koora Time initiative targets around 100 participants residing in one residential complex, and due to the different age groups of the participants, they will be divided into 3 sub-groups: 4-6 years, 7-10 years and 11-14 years. The necessary support will be provided to facilitate entry permits for trainers, in addition to providing the required equipment to conduct training sessions over a period of 6 weeks.”

Since the duration of the Koora Time programme is usually over 18 weeks to absorb the full methodology, the establishment of this special six-week programme provides an opportunity to review and configure a new combination of training modules, which can help achieve the greatest positive impact from this initiative. During these six weeks, the focus will be on the following modules: Healthy Eating, FC Barcelona Healthy Lifestyles and Habits, FC Barcelona Ambition and Loyalty, FC Barcelona Skills and Training, Aspire Academy.

The main coaches will develop the training plan before each session, and the training sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 PM to 7:30 PM as per the following schedule: COVID-19 precautionary measures, registration, presentation of training topics, warm-up, educational activity segment, football game, football skills training, along with additional football activities.